Pencils, Paper and Power: Students at St. Paul CES in Norwood Share Their Voices Through Poetry and Speeches
May 20, 2025
The motto for the day was “we listen and we don’t judge” and that’s exactly what the large crowd did in the gymnasium at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood on May 14, 2025.
The lights were dimmed and there were a variety of treats available as parents and students attended a coffee house event put on by Ash Britton’s Grade 5/6 class.
Her students entertained the crowd with literary and visual work as part of a Deep Learning Inquiry on poetry with a social justice stance.
“We started this back in September or so, and it all started with the song ‘I Wanna be a Dinosaur!’ by Mr. Sauga, he’s an Indigenous artist, and the students fell in love with the song and that started the whole idea of getting our thoughts onto paper,” Britton said. “We talked a lot about social justice related to Indigenous cultures and how we have so much learning to do. They’ve blown me away with what they came up with.”
The Deep Learning Inquiry project is a model where students take charge of their learning by exploring issues they are passionate about, while teachers facilitate resources and opportunities for deeper exploration.
Students learned several types of writing styles including poetry, rants and essays.
“We thought it would be a great opportunity to let these students express themselves and do it in a fun way,” Britton added. “We thought the best way to do this was with a coffee house, poetry-style, spoken word slam. It’s a mix of everything.”
And when it came to the poems, students had a variety of topics that they chose.
“I really learned how to express myself,” said Ben Rushlow, Grade 5 student. “I’m surprised I get to read my poem which is about not being allowed to wear hats in school.”
“It really taught us how to use proper form for our writing,” added Mia Groulx, Grade 6 student. “My poem is about my grandpa.”
“One of my poems is with Mia and I have one about how Grades 4, 5, 6 students should be able to play all sports instead of just the Grades 7 and 8’s,” said Payton Collins, Grade 6 student.
“I’m excited and I’m nervous but it will be fun,” said Olivia Hare, Grade 5 student. “My poem is about flowers and is from the flower’s point of view.”
Attendees were asked to donate a Loonie or Twonie to get into the coffee house.
All proceeds raised will go to Artscan Circle, a not for profit that creates more artistic pathways for Indigenous youth.